Fleeting
by BiddyAuthor
Summary: "Do you want to hear the story about a cherry blossom from Konoha?" Sakura-centric.


I knew it would come to this. Everyone knew that when the child prodigy Sasuke Uchiha had defected Konoha, this showdown would be the ending of our stories. Team Seven was the start of our tale, our introduction to the real world. But to me, it never felt like the real life. It merely felt like a fairy tale straight out of a story book my mother used to read me when I was a little girl.

There was always a prince and princess in those stories, and I always thought of Sasuke as my Prince Charming. He was so handsome, no one else came close to Sasuke when I was younger. He was my present and future. I was so naïve as a small girl, being raised from civilians.

There was nothing wrong with my parents or how they raised me. They were caring and always supported me, even though they disagreed my enrollment in the Academy. Nonetheless, they accepted that I wanted to become a ninja. They wanted me to experience life, and as a ninja, I would only experience cold bitter death.

My parents were worried for me. Especially when they found out Sasuke had left.

During Academy years, I would only talk about Sasuke to my parents. My father already disapproved of me even talking about boys, and my mother thought it was cute. But in the back of my mind, I knew they weren't happy. They wanted me to settle down and marry a civilian, most likely a merchant. They wanted to make a house wife out of me. No one knew the stress that my parents put on me when I was younger. I was always on edge in some way. I wasn't truly happy. And this is why Inner was made.

Inner Sakura was everything I should and could be. She expressed my inner emotions; what I wanted so desperately to say. She was everything I wasn't. And I wanted to be her.

I was timid and shy, always bullied about my large forehead. I hid my emotions behind a calm smile, silently fuming or crying at the abuse I got from the harsh words of my classmates. And when I cried, I was helpless. I was only perfect when it came to books. I was a great student at the Academy, but if I was put in a spar, it was useless. I was totally weak. I had nothing going as a ninja.

Even now, I wonder if my mother was right in saying I would be a great house wife. I wonder what my life would be if I was never a ninja. If I hadn't fallen in love with Sasuke. If I wasn't apart of Team Seven. If I wasn't Naruto's best friend.

Make it Naruto's second best friend. Sasuke held the position as Naruto's best friend, and even though he wasn't here, Sasuke's bond with Naruto would never break. No matter how many times Sasuke tried, it was a lost cause. Naruto believed in bonds, and held them dear to him. Especially Sasuke's.

Sasuke was like Naruto's brother.

I never fit in anywhere. Naruto and Sasuke held a bond I would never be able to understand. I lived a sheltered life while they lived without any guidance from their family. Naruto's parents sacrificed themselves the day he was born. Sasuke's were murdered by his brother. Kakashi had none of his precious people left.

I was the sore one out in Team Seven. I never knew the meaning of sacrifice and despair. Or the true taste of death until Sasuke left.

Then, I felt the bitter reality of heartbreak.

It was my very first taste of the real world of shinobi. I felt so utterly broken, I didn't know what to do. My parents left me alone, unsure what to do. I mean, their daughter was a ninja. What would civilians do? That's what I always believed went through their minds during that phase of my life. They did nothing to help me. TenTen, surprisingly, was the one to snap me out of my state.

"You're a kunoichi. Act like one. Do you want to continue being the weak one!? Then keep on crying. I may be the weak one on my team, but at least I have enough sense to put my feelings into training and become better instead of lying around crying! Do you want to be left behind!?"

TenTen's harsh words are what changed my whole life. And I realized just how weak I truly was. It was obvious enough to see why Sasuke thought I was annoying. I was defenseless against enemies. I had no special strengths. I was a lone girl, with ninja attire. My jutsus were weak and feeble. What use did I have for the ninja world? How could I protect the village when I couldn't protect myself?

That was the day I made my way to the Hokage Tower and demanded my apprenticeship with Tsunade.

That was the day I truly was born.

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I will forever remember wise words Ino had told me when we were younger, even before Academy years. We were in class together, and we had to make a bouquet of flowers. Ino, being the flower expert, told me all about the meanings of the flowers, and how we could relate to them.

"I am a cosmos flower."

"Um.. Ino… then what am I?"

"Eh, Sakura? You're….. you're still a bud. You're just waiting to bloom. And when you do, you'll be even prettier than the cosmos here."

I think Ino was wrong. Back then her words seemed comforting, and gave me hope. But now that I look back, I feel nothing but hatred for the memory. I would never bloom. I am a sakura blossom.

And now that I think about it, cosmos don't seem so pretty to me anymore. And Ino, well, she's still my best friend. And she still mocks me about my forehead, and I call her an ugly pig. That's one thing I don't think will ever change. Ino and I have a bond that Naruto and Sasuke would never understand. And sometimes I think I'm just as good as they are. They have a bond I would never be a part of and I have a bond they would never be a part of. It was balance.

Surpassing Ino was only one step to catching up to my team. I could still feel how far out of my reach they were. I knew that I had a long way to go if I wanted to walk with them instead of behind them, watching their backs.

Training was now my only escape.

My parents have long given up on me. I was a ninja daughter they never really wanted, and in turn they were the parents that rarely did anything for me. Not that I needed it. I was at the time sixteen and could successfully support myself. I think that was the one thing my parents were proud of. I was still a minor and could take care of myself without them bothering. It seemed like a prize for them.

Naruto was by my side, but he always seemed far away. He was the only connection I had to Sasuke, and even though my heart had repaired with a steel wall, Sasuke still could cause me to break down. The thought of him coming at me with the Chidori shocked me more than anything. The anxiety of him killing me was far too great. I could never forget those dark eyes that only looked at me with indifference and cold. He still didn't care about me after these years.

I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but after one of the many failed retrieval missions, my hope left me, and I accepted my fate.

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I also remember back in the Chuunin exams, when Naruto had to fight Neji. Back then Neji was all about how your destiny is already decided and you can only live with what is already decided. Naruto had just been the annoying teammate, not the hero of Konoha, and the blond gave me hope to become better.

Naruto would always change every person he faced. Neji was included.

After being defeated, Neji no longer thought he could do nothing with his life. He gained recognition from the main family. He was happy since his father had died.

But now I see what Neji talked about. You were meant to be this way, and to walk a certain path. It was destined to happen by fate, and you could only enjoy the ride of life as fate guided you until your death.

I knew what my destiny after those retrieval missions. With hope gone, and my old love gone, what did I have to live for? It was clear to me and everyone around me that I would ever become as strong as Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi. My determination left me from then on. I was nothing. I had excelled, but it was nothing close to what my teammates could do.

I was once again useless in the ninja world.

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I faced my last mission of my life. He was standing in front of me, like a beautifully lost man. I wanted him to be the last thing I saw. I had already said goodbye to Naruto. He didn't know what mission it was or what I was doing, but he still saw me off. If there was sole thing I regretted in this life, it would be that I never saw Naruto for who he was from the start. He was always destined for greatness. He would make a great Hokage and husband someday.

The man in front of me didn't even bother to put a guard up. I mean useless and weak Sakura Haruno, what could she do to hurt the almighty Sasuke Uchiha? Nothing.

For once I wasn't filled with resentment or regret about my weakness. It was something that would always be. Neji really knew what he was talking about when we were younger.

"Do you want to hear a story about a cherry blossom from Konoha?"

He didn't answer. He just stared behind me, as if I wasn't even there. I continued. This would be my last story I ever told, so why shouldn't I finish it? Sasuke would be shaken. I hoped he would be, at least.

"Cherry blossoms aren't admired for their beauty when they bloom. They are merely pink petals that are waiting to fall and die. They have no value when they are connected to the tree's branches. But do you know what happens when they fall?"

Silence. Only my easy breathing and shuffling of my feet.

"When sakura blossoms fall, they are admired. People come and watch them fall from their places in the tree. And after they fall and make it to the ground, they die. But no one pays attention to the petals death, do they? They only enjoy the ride one petal takes towards the ground. But what if there was only one petal? It would be a sad depressing story about how that one petal was seen but not acknowledged. Do you know who that Sakura blossom is Sasuke?"

Gone is the suffix. The haunting '-kun' that mocked me from when I was a child.

"…Hn." It is very quiet, but he grunts. Just like old times. If I hadn't been set on leaving the world today, I would have had hope once again inside of me. Hope that maybe I could bring him home. Tsunade had faith in me, faith I didn't deserve. She believed this retrieval mission would be successful since it was only me.

I feel nothing but depression when I think of the faith I don't have anymore. Of how the Hokage thought I was powerful enough, but I myself didn't.

"I am a sakura blossom. My only role in this world is to be admired when I fall. I will kill you Sasuke. And if I die, I will finally be acknowledged for who I am. A lone blossom with no love."

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Blood smeared my hands and face and soaked my clothes. A katana protruded in my chest. A cough with blood. This was the end of me. This was where my blossom hit the ground. I would be gone in a few minutes.

Sasuke stood not too far away, without a scratch on him. It was predictable. I was here lying almost dead and it looked like he wasn't even in a fight. I really was just weak. Just space that shouldn't exist.

"I have one last request." I croaked, my throat thick with blood.

I watched as Sasuke's eyes zeroed on me. I gave a sickly smile. He was finally looking at me.

"When you and Naruto fight, tell him my story. Tell him I wanted to die. Tell him that he will change history, and that I'm sorry I won't see him do that. If Naruto loses, I want him to be happy with his parents in heaven. If you lose, I just want to you know, I'll see you in hell, where you belong."

"Why not heaven." Sasuke said.

It was the last thing he ever said to me, but it meant the most.

I gave the biggest smile I could muster. I could feel like life draining from me. This was it.

I took a deep breath.

"Because heaven in for those whose purpose is for the greater good. You're is for darkness and I never had a role at all. I am nothing. I'll see you in hell, Sasuke-_kun._"

I closed my eyes and felt as my heart stopped.

_The cherry blossom had fallen, shriveled on the ground. Saukra blossoms are known for their fleeting beauty. Festivals are held when they all fall from the tree. People celebrate the falling of the blossoms. But no one ever thinks about how they die after wards. They all leave the blossoms for nature. They all leave the blossoms to rot away._

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**A/N: This came out of nowhere. I've just been thinking Sakura's undercharacterized role in the series, and how she deserved more. And this was born! How Sakura would be if she didn't have a role in the series. If she was just… there. It's sloppily put together. I made it in a half an hour. So review and tell me what you think!**


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